CONCACAF announced Wednesday the draw for teams competing in the 2011-12 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League, which will begin July 26-28 and August 2-4 with the playing of two-game, total goals Preliminary Stage matchups to help fill the field of 16 teams.
Two MLS teams automatically qualified for the six-round Group Stage, set for August 16-18 to October 18-20 -- the Los Angeles Galaxy, placed in Group A, and the defending MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids, placed in Group B.
Three other teams -- FC Dallas, Seattle Sounders and either the Vancouver Canucks or Toronto FC -- will attempt to earn their way into the field by winning Preliminary Stage matchups>
FC Dallas will face Alianza of El Salvador, Seattle will take on Panama's San Francisco and the winner of the 2011 Nutrilite Canadian Championship -- a two-game, total-goal series over the next two Wednesday nights between the Whitecaps and Toronto -- will face a qualifier from Nicaragua, either Real Esteli or Walter Ferretti.
The FC Dallas-Alianza winner will head to Group C to join the Mexican Clausura champion (Pumas or Monarcas Morelia), Tauro of Panama, and the final place belonging to Vancouver, Toronto, Real Esteli or Walter Ferretti.
The San Francisco-Seattle winner will advance to Group D and draw Mexico's Monterrey, Guatemala's Comunicaciones and the winner of a series between Costa Rica's Herediano and the team that wins the consolation game of the Caribbean Football Union championship being played next weekend in Guyana.
The Puerto Rico Islanders of the North American Soccer League are part of that tournament, with the Islanders being defending champions.
The Islanders have made the semifinals of the 2011 tournament, along with Guyana's Alpha United FC, who they will face in a single-game contest next Wednesday, and Trinidad's Defence Force and Haiti's Tempete, who play in the other semifnal that night.
The teams that reach the championship game and the winner of the conoslation game, both played May 27, will advance to the CCL's Preliminary Round.
The tournament champion will face Metapan of El Salvador, the runnerup draws a matchup with the runnerup of the Mexican Clausura championship (Pumas or Morelia), and the consolation game winner takes on Costa Rica's Herediano.
Should the CFU champion win their Preliminary Round series, they will join Group B with the Rapids, Real Espana of Honduras and the winner of another qualifying round series betwen Mexico's Santos Laguna and Honduras' Olimpia.
If the second place CFU team wins their series, they will be placed in Group A with the Galaxy, Costa Rica's Alajuelense and the winner of the qualifying series between Motagua of Honduras and Guatemala's Municipal.
If the consolation game winner wins their series, they will be placed in Group D with Mexico's Monterrey, Guatemala's Comunicaciones and the winner of the Sounders-San Francisco series.
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